It looks like this show is about to get really, really good. Everything we wanted to happen is: Elena has pieced together the truth about Stefan (cue the flashback montage!), Bonnie is ready to accept who she is (enter GRANDMA JASMINE GUY, which made me feel as old as the first time I heard someone say they were born in the ’80s), and Vicki should be dead (drink, Damon, drink!). Yes!
So, we knew Damon would get out of that basement dungeon sooner rather than later. This show could not survive without his biting dark wit, even if Stefan were to stay as chatty as he was while he cooked Elena dinner to apologize for being AWOL as he began starving his brother to the point of mummification. (In addition to finding out more about Katherine — apparently the boys have differing opinions on who was with her first — we learned that Stefan is a fan of F. Scott Fitzgerald, John Grisham, Seinfeld, I Love Lucy, Martin Scorsese, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Patsy Cline, and Willie Nelson, and that he digs some Kanye West and likes one Miley Cyrus song. It’s got to be “The Climb” right?) Caroline isn’t half as interesting without Damon. She’s just cruel: “If I want to talk boys, I’ll call dad. At least he’s successfully dating one,” she told her mom, who should never be spoken to that way because she was awesome as the mom on Kyle XY. I was actually glad when Damon used the last of his vampire mojo to summon her to his cell. RIP “Uncle Zach,” whose neck Damon broke when he interrupted Caroline opening its door. Zach told her to run, and she made it out of the house alive because Damon couldn’t go into the sun without his ring.
He waited to nightfall, then ended up in the cemetery, where Vicki and her stoner friends like to get high. Fortunately for us, but not for her, Jeremy had already bolted — he was angry that Vicki stole the pain pills Elena had been given after the car accident. (Finding pleasure in anything related to his parents’ death, Vicki? Not cool.) Damon drank from Vicki, and went back for seconds. If he didn’t drain her entirely after being without blood for days, I will be very disappointed — partly because it wouldn’t be believable, and partly because even though she’s now with Jeremy and we didn’t have to see Tyler (at all!), she’s still annoying. There’s no way Damon would change her into a vamp to give himself an ally, her a more exciting future, and Stefan another reason to get our Mr. Pointy, right? RIGHT?
When Stefan discovered that Damon had escaped, he paused to mourn Zach (he had to, there was a montage), then he picked up that extraordinarily thick stake and headed out to hunt his brother. Only Elena was at the door when he opened it — “What are you?” she asked. She already knows the answer. After she heard a classmate’s “Alzyheimer” grandfather say he recognized Stefan from June 1953, when Stefan’s Uncle Joseph had been attacked by an animal, she asked news reporter Logan if she could search the station’s archives. I guess Logan told her how to zoom before he got called away to cover a fire (presumably the one Bonnie had magically started at the Sexy Suds charity car wash), because she was able to get a close-up of Stefan lurking in the background. Then, diary, the non-believer replayed the times she caught Stefan healing himself and experiencing a reaction to blood that he’d quickly try to hide. She remembered Matt telling her that Vicki had said the word vampire. Judging from the preview for next week’s episode, Elena doesn’t respond well to Stefan confirming her suspicion. Though I’m guessing that will change when Damon starts calling on her and she realizes she needs him.
Now come the questions, and we begin with the important one: Why didn’t Stefan take off his shirt at the car wash? It would have been totally cheesy (and unfair, since Elena got to keep a shirt on over her bikini top), but I’d still have voted in favor of it at the meeting I’m guessing took place on set to discuss the skin situation… After seeing Bonnie light a room full of candles, wasn’t watching her splash the Mean Girl at the car wash with water utterly laughable? Thank goodness she started that fire, which made you take her seriously again as a witch… Are we ready for Kevin Williamson to up the scare factor? Caroline’s walk through the house to Damon was creepy, but I want to be peeing myself like I did during that episode of Buffy when she had to save her mother from the psychotic vamp without the use of her superstrength on her 18th birthday. Maybe during November Sweeps… What happens next with the crystal and the pocket watch (the latter of which Logan now possesses)?… And how hot would Stefan be listening to Patsy Cline and Willie Nelson? Seriously, total turn on.
As always, if you’re going to reference the books in your comment, begin with the word BOOK so others can avoid spoilers if they choose to.
Photo credit: Alan Markfield/The CW
Thought it was good, but definitely missed Damon this episode. Happy he seems to be a big part of next week’s.
The second he stripped only that hoodie off at the car wash I screamed at my tv. It’s not like he’s been overly clothed in less obvious situations!!
One of the vampire brothers or Elena’s kid brother need to show abs at least once per episode.
I second that!!!!!
Jasmine Guy as a grandmother? I died a little when I saw that. She is waytoo young to play and grandmother. Even in Hollywood.
I totally agree! Jasmine Guy is only in her 40s – waaaay too young to be playing grandma. And she still looks amazing! And the Vicki character annoyed me as well – the writers made such a big deal about her being from the wrong side of the tracks, but her brother dated Elena and is BFF with Tyler, so he clearly doesn’t suffer from the same social standing issues.
That’s a great point! She’s just not a very well-developed character.
Me too! She is not old enough to be playing a grandmother. Way to make me feel old, CW!
Am I the ONLY person who thinks that Dwayne-Wayne(A Different World” needs to be her hubby? Bring on Grampa Kadeem!!!!!! She’s FAR too young to be a Grandmother!
Or maybe I’m too old to watch this show??!?!?!?!?!!!?!?!?!?
I was disappointed by the lack of Stefan shirtlessness too! Come on, people! It’s a car wash! It was particularly jarring when you saw that every other guy (except Matt, for some reason!) had their shirt off. What the point of having pretty people if you don’t show them! Yes, I’m kinda shallow when it comes to this show. Sue me.
But other than that I really liked the episode. Yay for witchy Bonnie! Yay for sleuthy Elena! Yay for cooking Stefan! Yay for the return of bitchy Caroine! Ian was REALLY good as a starving, trapped Damon. Man, I really hope Vicki is dead because I don’t understand why Jeremy is bothering with her. If they’d made her remotely likable I might be sad that Damon’s drinking her dry.
I don’t understand why anyone is bothering with Jeremy. He’s just as annoying.
Jeremy is the best character! He’s smart and snarky, but also tortured
i just want to know if vicki is really dead this time… i was happy that she got with jeremy and hoped that maybe they’d lose that stupid stoner sidebar, but no such luck… now is jeremy gonna be all weepy about another loss… his emotional anquish over his parents is barely passable in my opinion…
Good episode, lets keep our fingers crossed Vicki is dead!
Yes, she’s expendable – vamps like Damon have to eat, after all…
Can’t wait for next week. Can you imagine how pissed Damon is going to be now with Stefan – should be good….
I am too old to think the character of Damon, played well by Ian S., is that hot..those eyes and that smile. Lord have mercy..
You are never too old for eye candy!
Are you kidding? I’m a lesbian and even I think Ian’s HOT. LOL
Haha skin was definately the most important issue of the episode. On a more serious note, I don’t think Vicki should die purely because it would destroy Jeremy. Poor kid doesn’t deserve that.
Why reference the book?
They’ve already veered away from any possible storyline they could’ve used from it. The show’s good, but could’ve been so much better if they would’ve stuck to the book.
It’s as if they’re trying to ride the coat-tails of Twilight’s success and they didn’t need to do that. If they’d have stayed true to the book, they’d have been successful also but it would have been for their own merit. Anyone who’s read the book can see how they’ve changed the character of Elena to mimick Bella. I just think it’s really sad. They didn’t need to do that.
I know, I’m seriously disappointed that it’s gone this far off track. I don’t know how they are going to recover, because I can’t see any way out of this mess they’ve gotten themselves into. It’s so far from the books that it shouldn’t even be called The Vampire Diaries. What a shame.
Bella is weak…Elena isn’t. Elena is comfortable in herself and seems a lot smarter than Bella. When Bella figured out Edward had fangs she was hesitant about it. Elena on the other hand, was very straightforward when she asked “what are you?”. The characters in Vampire Diaries are all much stronger and better developed than those in Twilight.
Ha, I was actually thinking just this, the series is so different from the books, no different bad just different….plus there has to be differences if they stick to the book there is only enough material for like 2 seasons…
Honestly, I think this show is WAY better than the books… I’m glad they’re veering off course. IMO- the characters and story lines in the books are very “young adult” and not established well at all. I didn’t get much out of the books at all- I ended up reading the whole series b/c I just kept waiting to get to the good part, but never got there =(
Great episode! They should have named it: “STEP INTO THE LIGHT, CAROLINE!” lol! That’s what I screamed when she ran away from Damon!
Damon is such a devil, did you see how he broke the neck of his uncle Zach? I loved Jasmine “Whitley Gilbert” Guy though seeing her as a “grandma” and without her Southern Belle accent…God, I feel old! She’s only 45 or something, does her character have an anti-aging among her witch powers? We shall see.
I don’t know if Vicky is dead but I’m tired of this ungrateful pothead. I picture her much as a vampire, she’s mean enough to team with Damon.
I loved Jeremy in this episode. He’s slowly getting out of drugs, caring about his sisters, maybe he’s the future “Jacob Black” of Mystic Falls… Finally, I loved Elena’s question: “WHAT are you?” lol!
I can’t wait for next week, I swear! Gossip who? Edward who? TVD FTW !!!
I don’t think that Elena is set to mimic Bella at all. There are no similarities between the Twilight series and this show that I can see in any way. I’m glad they are not following the books to the T because it would not make for good television. However, I don’t think I want Damon to be so bad in the show… how long can he continue to eat people without being taken out? At some point he’s gonna have to change or be killed. I wouldn’t want Damon out of the show. He adds all the spike and sexiness that Stephan is lucking with his mystery and goody boy actions.
Felicia,
have you read the books? how do you figure that would not make good television? there’s action, adventure, romance, horror, & suspence. sounds like good television to me. there was more then enough material in the novels that they would not have needed to change one detail…but they did. it was completely unnecessary.
and as for not seeing a comparison between Bella and the tv Elena, are you blind? personality of the character aside, all you have to do is look at nina dubrev. no offense to her, but they hired dark haired, dark eyed actress to play a chracter, that from the novel, is golden haired and blue eyed. and if you add in the personality factor, the Elena in the novel had a very forceful, domineering presence. She didn’t just sit around reacting to the things happening around her, as if she’s part of the background. she made things happen. The tv Elena is the exact opposite, very much like Bella.
Even as someone who has been reading LJ Smith’s stuff for about 15 years now, I have to disagree with you Crimson. Granted, its only my personal opinion, but The Vampire Diaries are some of the weakest of her work, Elena of the books is actually a pretty unlikable heroine, and the plot is totally ridiculous. I, for one, am quite happy with the changes Kevin Williamson has made because TVD is definitely my new favorite show.
PS. If you read LJ Smith’s blog, she seems pretty satisfied with the changes that have been made. If she can get over it, I think you can too.
Totally agree with you Dianne!
If the show matched up with the books, we would all be confused, unsatisfied, and bored…
@ Crimson
I actually have read the books–I’m a big fan of LJ Smith’s and have been reading her stuff for about 15 years–and I totally disagree. Granted, its only my personal opinion that The vampire Diaries was some of the weakest of her work (I prefer Secret Circle and Night World), that Elena from the books is actually a pretty unlikable heroine, and that the plot of the books is totally ridiculous–but I congratulate Kevin Williamson for making the right calls, because I think this series is absolutely perfect right now. If you’ve read LJ Smith’s blog, she actually likes the changes that have been made as well.
yes, she is an unlikable heroine. that’s what makes her real. i think the point is that she changes and grows as she learns the value of sacrifice. with the changes the show has made, that story line is not even possible and so there goes the lesson.
and frankly i don’t see how the original story line is any more ridiculous than the storyline for the tv show. they’re both fiction. anything can happen in fiction. that’s the beauty of it. i never said the show wasn’t good. only that there wasn’t a need to change it the way they have.
and of course ljsmith is satisfied with it. it’d be awfully easy to get over the changes when a pretty little paycheck arrives in the mail. i don’t get a paycheck for the shows prosperity, so i’ll just have to be content with having my own opinion. i’m entitled to it.
Shes 100 times better than annoying Bella
My daughter and I both were hollering at Stefan to take off his shirt! lol
That’s awsome that you and your daughter watch it together. I turned 18 two weeks before “Titanic” came out in theaters and we saw it as a family (before it went crazy cult following) and my mom tried to cover my eyes when Rose de-robed. To this day I still can’t believe she did that!
That “news clip” from 1953 was totally retarded. I actually laughed out loud! Why didn’t they just have her find an old newspaper story with Stefan’s photo? It just didn’t work at all. Otherwise I like the show oky, just thought that was dumb and could’ve been MUCH better.
Yeah that was a bit silly huh? I was even more skeptical when she mentioned Stephan’s name to Logan and he didn’t even respond to her or seem to notice who she mentioned. Aren’t they going to try to kill the brothers or something? Wouldn’t that have generated some kind of repsonse from Logan? I agree with the newspaer archive idea. It would have been so much better to read the story and then BAM there’s Stephan’s picture.
They don’t know who the vampires are yet, the sheriff and the mayor were talking about how they can’t find anything in any abandoned houses so they must be living in a private residence
Jasmine Guy was born March 10, 1962. So she is 47yo. So both she and her daughter (B’s mom) would have had to be awfully young teen moms for her to be a grandma to a highschooler.